Prepare for the 2028 contract negotiations
Get ready for the 2028 UPS Teamsters contract negotiations. Review the wages, grievance, seniority, and benefits provisions up for renewal — and ask TeamstersGPT for the exact contract language, with citations.
Read the 2028 prep guide · Contract glossary
Key provisions to know before bargaining
- What the 2023 contract won — Record raises, $21/hr part-time starting pay, the end of the 22.4 tier, A/C in new trucks, MLK Day, and 7,500 new full-time jobs — the wins that set the floor for 2028.
- Current wages & progression — Know your current top rate and where you sit on the progression before you can judge any 2028 proposal. (browse topic)
- General wage increases & COLA — The general wage increases and cost-of-living language in the current National Master are the baseline negotiations build on. (browse topic)
- 22.3 & 22.4 combination jobs — Article 22 combination jobs — the long-standing 22.3 full-time combos and the contested 22.4 hybrid driver — are a flashpoint heading into 2028. (browse topic)
- Grievance procedure — File and win grievances under the current contract — your enforcement rights don't pause during bargaining. (browse topic)
- Seniority & job bidding — Seniority, bidding, and daily guarantees decide who gets the work — review them before priorities are set. (browse topic)
- Overtime & the 9.5 list — The 9.5 list and forced-overtime protections are perennial bargaining issues — know what you have today. (browse topic)
- Health & pension benefits — TeamCare and pension language is some of the most-watched contract territory going into renewal. (browse topic)
- Part-time rights & progression — Part-time pay, progression, and the path to full-time are central to every recent negotiation. (browse topic)
- Supervisors working — Article language limiting supervisors doing bargaining-unit work protects your jobs — confirm the current rule. (browse topic)
- Safety & heat protections — Article 18 safety language and heat protections were major recent wins worth understanding before 2028. (browse topic)
- Vacation & paid time off — Vacation accrual, personal holidays, and option days are bread-and-butter provisions up for renewal. (browse topic)
Contract negotiations 2028 — FAQ
- What did the Teamsters win in the 2023 UPS contract negotiations?
- The 2023 National Master Agreement delivered record raises ($2.75/hr in year one and $7.50/hr over the contract for existing employees), a $21/hr part-time starting wage, the elimination of the lower-paid 22.4 driver tier, 7,500 new full-time jobs, air conditioning in new package cars and sprinter vans bought after January 1, 2024, an end to forced overtime on scheduled days off, a ban on driver-facing cameras, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a new paid holiday. See the full breakdown on the "What the 2023 contract won" page.
- How should Teamsters prepare for the 2028 contract negotiations?
- Start by knowing your current contract cold: your wage rate and progression, your grievance and seniority rights, and the benefits language up for renewal. Read the current National Master Agreement and your supplement, attend your local's meetings, and use TeamstersGPT to look up the exact article, section, and page for anything you're unsure about. The stronger your grasp of today's contract, the better you can judge any 2028 proposal.
- When does the current UPS Teamsters National Master Agreement expire?
- The current UPS National Master Agreement runs through 2028, which is why preparation is starting now. Your local supplement or rider may have its own effective dates — check the document's effective range in TeamstersGPT's contract library, or ask with your supplement selected for the exact term.
- Do my contract rights change during negotiations?
- No. The current contract stays in full force until a new agreement is ratified, so your grievance, seniority, overtime, and safety rights all still apply. You can and should keep filing grievances and enforcing the contract right up to and through bargaining.
- What are Teamster bargaining rights?
- As a Teamster you have the right to a democratically negotiated contract, to vote on the tentative agreement, and to have your union bargain on your behalf over wages, hours, and working conditions. Day to day, your bargaining-unit rights — representation, grievance procedure, and the protections in your current agreement — are enforced through the contract you already have.